The thought crossed my mind, "When did I start building models again?"

I built them in my teens and pre-teens, but stopped somewhere around High School and before college....so that's the mid to late 70's....

But then decades later, I joined my first ever forum.... Armchair General Forum ...on a whim. I found my way to the modeling area and was AMAZED! I couldn't believe the level of artistry and skill in much of the work I saw, and how far beyond what I remembered the hobby to be. It was on that forum that I joined my first Group Build; and started work on my first model in at least 3-decades.

So I went to that forum just now and searched....coming up with the actual thread where I joined the build and restarted my efforts in modeling....

06 January, 2008, 17:05

The actual post:

OK group....my hats in the ring! After participating in threads and interacting with so many of you, you have awakened the beast! I'll be honest, I haven't built a model since the 70's, and then, it was mostly aircraft and ships. I modelled modern (for that time) aircraft, and the only WWII aircraft model I remember building was a Corsair; and all of my ships and boats were WWII era.

Recently, I participated in a miniature painting contest for the Days of Wonder game company's "Air Pack Expansion", painting two versions of a P-40 Warhawk. The mini is roughly 1/285ish....basically, an inch and a half wingspan. That got the juices flowing. I had also been reading threads here on the modelling forum, and with the kind words and answering of my many questions from so many here, I started "dreaming" again. I had bought a motorized Tiger back before college in 1979?, and one day, my dad gave it away to my nephew (who never built it...don't know what happened to it!). I really wanted to build armor, and that was a Christmas gift that I really looked forward to building. Alas, it went astray! Armor is still the apple of my eye.

Looking at the fine examples on this and other threads, and reading the depth and breath of the fine artform you all bring to this, I have come to realize that amazing things can be accomplished. It goes far beyond the "pastime" I viewed it as during my youth. You have also launched me back into the desires to explore dioramas. I've been a model railroader for years, and have looked with admiration at the layouts at the big shows. I also love battle dioramas with minatures, and have thought of venturing down that road some day. The dioramas I've seen here at ACG are amazing, and something I can see melding into after I suitable time of getting my feet wet again.

My wife is fully supportive of my re-entry into this world: mostly because she is excited to see my creative juices flowing again (I am a Fine Artist whose day job has seen very little production output in my studio); and partly I suspect, in that it gets me out from under her feet and into the basement workshop! She would deny the latter, but I've been married 23 years....I didn't just fall off the turnip truck!

I'm not guaranteeing any spectacular end product here, but the journey is half the fun, as has been mentioned several times in these threads. So be gentle! With your help and encouragement, it's time for this cowboy to hop back on the horse!

For my build, I have chosen a 1/35th scale German Panther Type G, Late Version, from Tamiya, #35176. I thank many of you, particularly McCoy, for helping me with choices. I thought of going with something a little less ambitious, but I like a challenge!

I have had a horrible time with getting pictures on a post....my only success being with the "link" option. I haven't a clue how you folks "imbed" the pic right in the post, and the Barracks description failed for me miserably. Please let me know if the 2 "before" pictures don't show up properly.

I look forward to the adventure, and expect lots of questions!

Emery

I had joined that site in November of 2007. Urban (McCoy) had joined the month before me. Nick (Geek44) was there 14 months before me. I hadn't realized until tonight that they were fairly new to that site back then too, but clearly years ahead of me in modeling skill. I made many good friends there, but these two mates were undoubtedly the biggest infulences in not only my re-entry to modeling; but also my discovering of the depths modern-day modeling can go, and my falling subsequent falling in love with the artform all over again.

The 'forum' aspect of my involvement in the hobby is the strange road....

The first forum I joined was for history (Armchair General), and yet I found myself amongst some of the best (and in some cases whackiest) bunch of modelers around It was that forum where I learned how far building models had come and can be taken....and where I started my first model; and where I was accepted and helped along. It was also the place I met a few of the lads on this site!

That next forum I was invited to join, was where it went from a large group of modelers that shared an common interest, to more of a brotherhood. Not sure I could explain it. And then I also explored other forums devoted strictly to modeling, but never found myself particularly devoted to them. Most likely because life has had me spinning like a top, haha!

It's for that collective experience of all those forums, where I was able to expand my skills and push the envelope that I added that element to this site.

I've found a commonality to modeling and wargaming, so it makes sense to have both represented at MWF.